Mibu no Monogatari
by wetheril
Summary: Tale of how nine-year old Okita Souji came to Shieikan and later became a member of the Shinsengumi. Told in a series of story arcs up to the beginning of Shinsengumi timeline. general fiction, but HijikataOkita implied
1. Shieikan Chapter 01

**Title**: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Shieikan Chapter 1  
**Series**: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker  
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.  
**Rating**: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations  
**Disclaimer**: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.  
**Summary**: A simple tale about how nine-year old Okita Souji came to Shieikan and later became a member of the Shinsengumi. Covers events at least up to almost the beginning of SI Peacemaker manga/anime.

* * *

**Edo - 1850 **

"Have you heard? This time, the master is taking in a small child."

"Only nine years old, and without a mother or a father; poor kid."

"He is coming to work as a servant here because his family cannot afford to send him as a disciple."

Voices whispered excitedly and anxiously through the Shieikan dojo in the lapse of practice. Not only were the women excited, but the men too picked up on the rumors as well. Kondou Shusuke, the master of the Tennen Rishin kendo style motioned for silence, and indicated that training should proceed without interruption. His wife, Fude, was in an annex with her 18-year old son Kondou Isami.

"Mother, why did you pull me aside from practice?"

"I can't believe your father has agreed to accept another free-loader, and a small child too. We are already in financial straits, and all you and your father ever do is spend money."

"But mother, the child is the brother-in-law of one of uncle's relatives. Shouldn't we show some hospitality in times of need?"

"What can a child do around here? He will only be a burden. It was enough managing you. I refuse to be a baby-sitter all because of your father's charitable whims."

"Mother, please," Isami tried to reason with her, "You can't say that when you never even met the child. And nobody expects you to look after him. I will do that myself. He will be to me as if he were a younger brother."

Suddenly a shout interrupted their conversation, and one of the maids bowed quickly before kneeling in front of Fude and Isami.

"Okita Rintarou, his wife Mitsu, and her younger brother Soujirou are here."

Fude said nothing in response and simply crossed her arms over her chest. Isami quickly glanced over at his mother, then back to the maid.

"Please show them inside. I will prepare the tea."

* * *

A young boy in a dusty yukata clung tightly to his older sister's kimono. Both the boy and his sister had dark hair with almost violet highlights, and deep lavendar eyes. It was easy to see the resemblance between the siblings. Beside the woman stood her husband, a samurai who carried his swords at his waist and wore the hakama that symbolized his status. Okita Rintarou was a kindly and gentle man who smiled often at his wife and her younger brother. Together, with a mule, they approached the gates that marked the Kondous' Shieikan residence.

It had been a while since he saw his cousin Kondou Isami. At that time, Rintarou had been Inoue Rintarou. He picked up the Okita family name after marrying Okita Mitsu--it was a very uncommon practice for the man to pick up the woman's family name. At the time Rintarou stayed in Shieikan, he had learned that the young master was a farmer from Tama named Miyagawa Katsugoro who was adopted into the Kondou family. Despite the fact that Isami was adopted, he was a skilled fighter and destined to be the next Kondou heir.

Several maids and servants opened the front gate, and ushered the Okitas inside along with the mule that carried the familys' possessions. The small boy gripped his sister's hand tightly and tried to hide his face in her kimono as unfamiliar faces from the servants and disciples pressed close to take a better look at him.

"Isn't he cute?"

"He's very skinny--it's hard to believe he's a samurai's son."

Okita Mitsu glared at the curious bystanders trying to catch a glimpse of Soujirou, and they quickly retreated and parted for them to pass.

Kondou Shusuke appeared at the doorway flanked by Fude and Isami. He welcomed them with open arms and led them into the main hall. As they sat down at the table on the tatami, Isami reached out and clapped Rintarou on the back.

"It's a pleasure to see you again."

Rintarou returned the smile. "You look well, Ka-chan."

Large violet eyes peered out from behind Mitsu's kimono, and fixed upon Isami. The young man noticed the child just then, and immediately brightened.

"So this is Soujirou!" He reached out picked up the young boy from Mitsu's lap. Soujirou cowered away, but the young man was smiling, that he soon lifted his head and looked up at Isami. "What a cute kid!"

Mitsu smiled and patted Soujirou's hand in assurance. "So you will take him?"

Fude, who had been standing impatiently along the side watching her son, scrutinized the young boy with an air of disdain. "The boy is of no use to us. Look at how skinny he is. I doubt he can even lift a bucket of water."

"Maa Fude, don't say that. We aren't so poor that we can't feed such a small child. The cub could someday become a lion, or a tiger." Shusuke knelt down next to the Soujirou, who regarded him seriously with wide violet eyes. "Okita Soujirou?"

"Hai," the boy replied with a bow.

"You have good eyes. Make yourself at home here at Shieikan."

"Hai."

Shusuke turned to Rintarou and Mitsu, who each bowed to him. "Okita-san, you and your wife may stay at Shieikan too, as guests."

* * *

And that was how the Okitas came to stay at the Kondou residence. Little Soujirou also began his duties as a page that day. Life became more difficult for him: his sister and her husband had spoiled him as a little boy, so for the first time in his life, he experienced the hardships of manual labor. Fortunately, the students and other members of Shieikan were friendly to him, and some even set aside time to play with the cute little boy. However, the master's wife Fude never opened up to him. She remained cold and distant at best, but quite often, she would find fault with him and heckle him for hours. When young Isami came to Soujirou's defense, his mother would throw a temper, and force her son to back down.

And so life continued in this way until one day, about a couple weeks after Soujirou joined Shieikan, a medicine peddlar appeared at the Kondou residence.

"Young master, there's somebody suspicious just outside the gate. Should we let him in?"

"Suspicious?" Isami repeated, lowering his wooden sword, and hastily bowing to his sparring partner. "Let me see him."

The man just outside was a good-looking well-built youth roughly the same age as Kondou Isami with his hair pulled back in a long ponytail. Currently, he didn't look too good for the wear, and there were a few bruises on his face--apparently from a recent brawl. He carried two round wicker baskets and wore a round straw hat. He was dressed as a simple peasant, and was missing one of his sandles. He regarded Isami with a deepening scowl.

"H-H-Hijikata Toshizou?" Isami exclaimed in surprise. He had not seen this one ever since he left Tama. Isami's face broke into a grin. "What brings you here? What happenned to you?"

"Ka-chan," the other man acknowledged somewhat reluctantly, "May I stay at your place for a little while? Until I can get back at the bastard who did this to me."

"Toshi, why are you always getting into fights?" Isami voiced his concern as he helped his friend inside and had a servant take the baskets. "Don't tell me it was over a woman again?"

"If it were that simple!"

"One of your schemes backfired again."

"Hmmmph!!"

"I knew it! What were you trying to do this time?"

"Can we not talk about it right now?"

As the two men walked towards the back of the dojo, Soujirou, who was doing the laundry by the well, overheard their voices--particularly the very loud voice of one of them. He looked up in time just as they were passing by, and he couldn't help but gasp in surprise at the sight of strange man. The gasp did not go unnoticed. Immediately, the dark narrow eyes of the unfamiliar young man spotted him and pinned him in place.

"Ka-chan. You have a kid around here too? When did you start a nursery?"

"Aaa! Well, he's a page we picked up recently. He's from a poor samurai family, and he has no parents."

"Stop staring, kid!!" Hijikata yelled at the young boy, and quickly ignored the youngster.

"Toshi! You didn't have to do that!" Isami chided coaxingly, then turned to notice that the child was not there anymore. "Look, you scared him away. That's not very nice!"

"I hate little brats." Hijikata ground his teeth. Isami only shook his head sadly, then led his friend into a room to have his wounds treated.

"So what kind of medicine do you sell?"

"Some cough medicine and Ishida powder--supposed to heal up injuries rapidly. But it doesn't work." Hijikata shrugged.

"Is that so?" Isami mused. "Maybe I'll have some of it to try on my students."

"You can take as much as you like."

* * *

**End of Chapter 1 **

TBC

Notes: I apologize for the abrupt close to the chapter, but look forward to the next one. As you can see, I borrowed so much of the background from NHK Shinsengumi!! However, I have tried to keep the characters similar in personality to those in PMK.

**Updated Notes**: This is basically the original version listed on my LJ. It's unedited, but will be fixed again at another date.


	2. Shieikan Chapter 02

**Title**: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Shieikan Chapter 2  
**Series**: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker  
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.  
**Rating**: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations  
**Disclaimer**: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.  
**Summary**: Continuation of the story in which nine-year old Okita Soujirou comes to the Shieikan dojo as a servant. May cover events up to almost the beginning of SI Peacemaker manga/anime.

* * *

Hijikata Toshizou woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn, and went down to the well to wash up. He liked being awake at this time--it let him think clearly, away from the masses of mindless gossiping people. The cuts on his arms were now much shallower. In fact, the medicine he said was useless had been quite effective. He glanced at his reflection in the water, and noticed that the bruises under his eyes and cheeks were barely visible. Hijikata stood up and got dressed, then walked to the courtyard behind the dojo.

It was actually his first time visiting Isami at Shieikan, though they had been childhood friends back in Tama. After his elder sister married a pharmacist, he moved to Hino to live with them and help out as a medicine peddler. His brother-in-law, Satou Hikagoro, practiced kendou to fend off the theives, and had built a small dojo on their land. When Isami had visited, the two of them used to spar on mornings like this one in the dojo. Hijikata unwrapped his wooden sword from his luggage, and lifted it, feeling its familiar weight. His arm was not aching as much anymore. He brought the sword up over his head, then swung down in a perfect arc, stopping the swing just perpendicular to his chest. He continued a few more practice swings, but then he heard approaching footsteps, and lowered his sword. Kondou Isami stopped just a few paces away.

"Toshi, don't let my presence interrupt your practice. It will only hasten your recovery."

"No, it's no good swinging at empty air. I'm surprised you still get up this early."

Isami laughed and said instead, "Why don't you come train at the dojo?"

"I can't. I don't even have enough money to go home--how can I afford tuition for class?"

"Well, you can still come and train as a guest."

"I don't intend to stay here long. I have my job as a medicine peddler."

"Is that so." Isami invited his friend to sit beside him on the grass. "So why are you here in Edo?"

"Well," Hijikata paused for a moment before continuing. "I had thought of visiting you, Ka-chan. But the reason I came to Edo is to pick up a shipment for my brother-in-law."

Isami said nothing in reply, but listened attentively. He knew that his friend was about to tell him the whole story. It was no use forcing it out; Hijikata only told people things when he wanted to.

"I was passing by the edge of the red-light district one evening when a drunk samurai bumped into me and made me spill my medicines. He should have apologized to me, but in his drunken state, he wanted me to apologize to him. I would not do so--and we had a duel. I knocked him unconscious with a wooden sword. A few days later, I was peddling medicine in a remote neighborhood when a bunch of his comrades spotted me and recognized me. They ganged up and got revenge for their friend, and stole all my money. I had nowhere to turn to, so I came to you yesterday. I wish we hadn't met in such a state."

"You should have just apologized to him and just left it as that."

"I refuse to apologize to a drunkard--samurai or not."

"Toshi, that's why you need to manage your temper."

"I will not play a fool in front of an idiot."

"Ahh, see. You never change." Isami stood up. "Well, everybody should be getting up now. Let's go have some breakfast."

Hijikata stood up and followed him to the common room.

* * *

"Soujirou! Where are you?" Fude demanded, turning over pots in the kitchen and looking behind shelves. "You lazy boy! Get out right now or else I'll have you whipped! You have not finished scrubbing the tatami, and where is the kettle of water you should have boiled this morning?"

Fude glanced behind a cabinet, then pulled aside a few sheets of laundry drying on the rack; and still found no sign of the boy. She was fed up and irritated, and the youngster only got her nerves, ate food, and never finished his jobs. Meanwhile, Soujirou had hid himself in the dojo behind a pile of armor. He did not dare come out when the master's wife was in a rage. There was currently a class in session headed by the master's son, Isami, and fortunately, when the students picked up their training equipment, they happened not to touch the pile of armor beside him. Soujirou could barely make out Fude's shrill voice among the clatter of wooden swords and the shuffling of feet.

He shut his eyes tightly and tried to still the beating of his heart. He almost wished he didn't exist at that moment. Soujirou's eyes flew open as he heard footsteps approach his hiding spot. Peering up through cracks in the armor, he noticed a pair of familiar feet standing nearby. Suddenly, a hand reached out and pushed aside an armor. Kondou Isami's kindly face came into view.

"Well, what do we have here? I thought a stray cat had wandered inside."

The boy winced and backed away as the master's son reached out for him.

"Why are you hiding here? Aren't you supposed to be in the kitchen?"

"Don't!" Soujirou cried, as Isami tried to pull him out of the corner, "Don't tell Fude-san!! She'll beat me and make me kneel behind the fence."

"Mother?" The older boy blinked, with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Please," the younger boy begged, his large violet eyes welling with tears. Isami's eyes softened.

"Okay, I won't tell. But you shouldn't hide back there. You could get hurt."

"Please don't make me go away, Kondou-san."

"I won't make you go away. I promise." Isami looked back at the rest of the class. The students were currently sparring in pairs. He turned back to the small boy. "Say, Soujirou, do you want to learn too?"

The younger boy's eyes widened in surprise. "Can I?"

"Sure." Isami assured him. "You can come back here and train with everybody when you've finished your duties."

Isami pulled down the smallest lightest wooden sword from the rack, and showed the boy how to hold it properly. He noticed that the boy had very small thin wrists, and even the smallest sword was a bit long and heavy for his size. Even so, the child was doing fairly well, and a spark of excitement danced about the deep lavendar eyes. Isami reached down and pulled the boy's hair out of his face and into a ponytail. The boy flashed him a brilliant smile, and Isami could not help but smile too.

Just as he was showing the child how to swing the sword, he felt a sudden chill up his spine. Turning around, Isami saw his mother peering at them from the doorway. He immediately froze, but forced himself to walk in her direction. Each footstep felt like a lead weight.

"Mother?" He started, anxiously. "How long have you been standing there?"

Fude's face twisted in silent fury. "Give me the boy."

"No," Isami found himself saying, before he could correct himself. "We are still in the middle of class."

"How dare you--!" Fude's hand whipped out and slapped her son across the face. Soujirou gasped, the tears welling up in his eyes, and suddenly, he turned and ran from the scene.

"Soujirou--!" Isami shouted, but the boy had already disappeared.

"Get back here!" His mother yelled angrily, and ordered a few servants to give chase. "Don't let him get away!"

* * *

Hijikata made his way back towards the guest room where he kept his luggage. It was about time he started to pack up. After all, he had no intention of staying for more than a few days at a time. He didn't want to trouble his friend, and he still had to finish the errand his brother-in-law had entrusted to him. But most of all, he was afraid that Kondou would advise him to stay and train. Hijikata had his own reasons for not staying at Shieikan, though he refused to tell anybody out of pride.

As he rounded the corner behind the dojo, a small child ran right into him, and knocked him off his feet. He immediately jumped back up and yelled angrily at the child.

"Watch where you're going, you little brat!"

The child ran off crying without an apology, and Hijikata angrily stomped off after him. He was going to teach the kid a lesson about manners. He stopped only a few feet away when the child ran into a corner between the back wall and the fence, sat down, and continued crying.

"Stop crying kid!!" He shouted angrily. The child immediately glanced up, recognized him, and suddenly started to whimper in fear.

He took a step closer, and the child tried to step back, but the kid was already pinned against the wall and couldn't retreat any further. Hijikata suddenly smelled fear, and new the kid was almost to the point of wetting himself. This made him very angry for some odd reason--angry at himself that a child would fear him that much. He suddenly felt that taking out his anger on a small helpless child was like pulling wings from a fly.

Sighing a little, he took a good look at the youngster. The boy was very slender and fine-boned, and his skin looked pale and soft, though parts of his arms had already started to purple and show bits of green with bruises.

"Kid," he started again, but now his voice had lost the sharp edge of anger, "I said, please stop crying."

The crying ceased, and large amethyst eyes lined with thick eyelashes peered out behind long violet bangs, making the boy appear girlish.

"Crying," he continued in a calmer voice, "It won't do anything."

The eyes widened in surprised, and turned to him. "You're...not going to hit me?"

"Shut up! I wouldn't stoop so low as to hit a little kid."

The large lavendar eyes blinked, and looked over Hijikata with curiosity. Hijikata felt his patience wear thin. He cracked one eye open, and glanced sideways at the boy.

"Oi, kid. What's your name?"

"..ita...ojirou."

"What did you say? I can't hear you."

"Okita Soujirou."

"And how old are you?"

"Nine."

"Listen up Souji, you're a big boy, and you shouldn't cry."

The child fell silent for a while, then finally spoke up in a timid voice, "I don't know what to do. Isami-san was kind to me, but I only got him in trouble. I'm so useless."

"That's why you need to stop crying. If you can't even do the job of a page right, how can you keep the ones you care for around you from getting hurt?"

Soujirou nodded, then a small smile tentatively appeared on his face. "Hijikata-san looks so scary, but in reality, Hijikata-san is a very caring person. Isami-san is very lucky to have Hijikata-san as a friend."

Hijikata blinked in surprised and turned to see Soujirou smiling at him widely. "Hey! What did you say?"

Soujirou's smile only widened, and the boy started to laugh. Hijikata sighed. The boy was...cute. Hijikata did not like cute things. He-did-not-like-cute-things-he-did-not-like-cute-things-he did not like cute things he did...not...like........cute........things. Sometimes. Maybe.

Hijikata reluctantly reached out and gruffly ruffled Soujirou's soft hair. "See, crying doesn't suit you after all."

Soujirou laughed, then stood up and left Hijikata staring after him. Maybe life at Shieikan wasn't so bad afterall. Soujirou had made up his mind. He didn't want to run away anymore. Even if he had to endure scoldings, beatings, and punishments, he would try to be strong--he would be strong so that the people who cared for him wouldn't get hurt for his sake.

* * *

**End of Chapter 2**

TBC


	3. Shieikan Chapter 03

**Title**: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Shieikan Chapter 3  
**Series**: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker  
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.  
**Rating**: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations  
**Disclaimer**: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.  
**Summary**: Continuation of the story in which nine year-old Okita Soujirou comes to the Shieikan dojo as a servant (page). After meeting Hijikata and Kondou Isami, how will his life change? May cover events up to almost the beginning of SI Peacemaker manga/anime.

* * *

Okita Mitsu was airing out the guest room that she and her husband Rintarou shared when she heard some shuffling noises, the sound of awkward fumbling followed by cursing and a jarring clatter of broken porcelain. She stood up and peeked into a crack between the shogi doors that divided the adjacent rooms. The young master Kondou Isami was sucking on a cut finger while pushing aside some furniture and browsing through various trinkets in the dresser. It was a curious sight, and Mitsu tried hard to stifle a giggle. Finally, she cleared her throat and knocked tentatively on the door.

"Who's there?" Isami whirled around, and nearly knocked off another shelf containing an old tea set.

Mitsu chuckled, and slid open the door. "Need any help?"

"I'm alright." Isami replied awkwardly, quite surprised to see her at the doorway.

"Are you looking for something? Let me help you."

"Well...uh...it's not really anything..." Isami looked away, somewhat embarrassed as he surveyed the mess at his feet. He stooped down to pick up pieces of broken porcelain, but Mitsu's hand reached out and stopped his.

"No, let me do it. You have a cut on your finger."

Isami backed away slowly and carefully sat down as Mitsu quickly and efficiently swept up the pieces of porcelain and tucked them away safely to be disposed. He couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between Mitsu and her brother--not only did they share the same lustrous violet hair and lavendar eyes, there was also an inherent grace that belied the way they moved. Mitsu was a very attractive young woman, and she was also roughly the same age as Isami. He had heard that she married at the age of 14 in order to support her brother after their father's death. He quickly turned his face away when she seemed to notice that he had been looking at her.

"Young master, what happened to your face?"

"Oh, this! I got in trouble with mother again." Isami laughed nervously, then sighed. "I sometimes get the impression that she dislikes me."

"But you are her son after all. I don't think she can bear a grudge against you for long."

"Mother is a stubborn woman. When she's made up her mind, there's almost no way to change it. That's right--I was wondering where Toshi put some of his medicine. I could use some right now."

"Was that what you were fumbling around for?" Mitsu's sharp eyes spotted a small dark chest that lay half-buried beneath some of Hijikata's luggage in the corner. "Would that be it?"

"You have good eyes, Mitsu-san." Isami thanked her, and opened up the medicine chest. Mitsu fetched a basin of water and a clean towel, and she dissolved the fine powder into the water, made up a poultice, and applied it to the swell on Isami's face.

"Isami-san," Mitsu began, "Is it alright if I request a favor of you?"

"If it's within my ability to fulfill, yes please."

"Tomorrow morning, Rintarou and I are leaving to head back to Hino. Mother is waiting for us--she is still sick in bed, and we sent Soujirou here because we cannot afford to pay for her medicine and still care for him. Isami-san, please take care of my little brother. I cannot come to see him for a while, so it will be difficult for him to be away from his family for so long. He is my only precious little brother, but I know that I can trust you."

"Mitsu-san, you can rest assured. To me, little Soujirou is like a younger brother already. But I'm sad to hear that you are leaving. I wish that you can both stay. Tomorrow morning, I'll send the best doctor we know in Edo to go with you."

Mitsu smiled and her eyes glazed with the beginnings of tears. "Thank you, Isami-san. You will truly become a greater man than your father someday."

* * *

"Soujirou! Wake up wake up, sleepyhead!"

Mitsu pulled the covers off of her sleeping brother. The boy mumbled something and turned over onto his belly.

"If you don't get up right now, I'm going to tickle you!!"

"Ane-ue," Soujirou mumbled sleepily, "Just a little bit--"

Mitsu flexed her fingers, then grabbed her younger brother by the ribs and Soujirou squirmed and nearly jumped up, trying hard not to laugh.

"I was getting up already," he protested sleepily.

"If you don't hurry up, Fude-san will scold you again for being late. Then you won't be able to see me off now, will you?"

Soujirou blinked, instantly awake. "Ane-ue, you're leaving already?"

"Yes, and I'm hurt that you won't even say goodbye to me." She pouted. Then the smile returned to her face. "Well, hurry up and get dressed."

Soujirou climbed out of bed, and even though he hurriedly got dressed and washed his face, inside he felt almost as if his heart had been squeezed. He had known already that his sister couldn't stay with him for long, but he had hoped that the day would not come so soon. During breakfast, he had fallen strangely silent. Usually, he and his sister would be joking together at the table until Fude came and told them to stop laughing. Isami noticed the change in the mood, and tried to lighten the atmosphere.

"Hey Soujirou! Let me show you something that the Miyagawa family is known for!"

Mitsu's ears perked up, and she quipped in cheerfully, "What, what?"

Rintarou smiled. "Mitsu, you didn't know? Ka-chan can fit an entire fist inside his mouth."

"Oh my goodness! It's true?"

"Here, a bean bun." Rintarou offered. Soujirou watched wide-eyed as Isami stuffed bun after bun into his mouth. He could not help but laugh when Isami coughed and spilled pieces of bun into his lap. Mitsu giggled and offered a towel to wipe up.

"Isami-san, thank you." Mitsu smiled.

After breakfast, Rintarou loaded the mule with the last pieces of luggage, and the entire dojo gathered at the entrance to see them off. Mitsu knelt down and hugged Soujirou tightly.

"Soujirou, be a good boy and listen to what Isami-san tells you. I will come visit again in a few years to see how much you've grown, and maybe then, I will stay here longer."

"Ane-ue, will mother be alright?"

Mitsu's eyes softened. "Don't worry. The best doctor in Edo is coming along with us to see mother. You just worry about staying out of trouble."

Soujirou bit back the urge to cry when his sister released him. He could still smell the familiar scent of her kimono--the smell of plum blossoms she always wore. However, he had promised somebody that he wouldn't cry anymore. Mitsu and Rintarou led the mule out the gate, while the Kondou family, servants, and students wished them well. Mitsu turned around and waved once at Soujirou before the gates closed off any view of her.

Even after the servants returned to their work, Soujirou stood staring at the closed gates, as if Mitsu would push it open and smile at him again. Isami walked up to the little boy and placed a hand on Soujirou's shoulder. He noticed that the child had not moved from the spot.

"Isami-san," the younger boy began, his violet eyes still fixed on the door, "Crying won't do any good, will it?"

Isami's eyes widened for a moment, realizing what was happening in the child's mind.

"No, at times like this, it's okay to cry."

Suddenly, the small pale face buried itself into the folds of his yukata, and small hands clutched tightly at the fabric. A quiet choking sound escaped from the boy's throat, and he could feel the fabric beginning to pool with moisture. He wrapped his arms protective against the small thin body, and held it close to him until the sobbing finally died down.

* * *

"So, what have you to say this time, boy?"

Fude had her arms crossed over her chest and Soujirou could almost hear her tapping her foot impatiently beneath her kimono. She had found the boy sullen-faced in the rear courtyard instead of waiting attentively in the kitchen for her orders. Her patience was nearing the end of its string, and she even considered giving the boy a good thrashing to come to his senses. Suddenly, Soujirou fell on his knees in front of her, and his forehead touched the ground at her feet.

"Fude-sama, I am willing to accept any punishment for my tardiness."

His voice was steady, no longer quivering with fear, and he did not even twitch as she took a step closer. Fude was a bit surprised. She had expected the boy to cower, turn tail, and run away like he usually did.

"Very well. As a lesson to you to be punctual next time, I have drawn up a list of chores for you to do. If I catch you slacking off on your duties, you will have to answer to a 100 spankings, and no less. Do you understand?"

"Hai."

The boy remained bowed until she kicked at him to get up and start on the chores. Soujirou quickly rushed to his duties, and in a way he was relieved to be kept busy. And so for the rest of the morning, he was busy running about helping the servants prepare lunch, washing the dishes, serving tea, sweeping out the rooms and dusting the ceilings, and doing laundry.

By late afternoon, he had finally hung up the last piece of laundry to dry, and sat back, exhausted, with a sigh. Hijikata Toshizou was actually nearby, around the corner of where the laundry was hung up, and he heard the sigh. He put down his knife which he had been using to whittle at a tree branch, and turned to see the boy lying on his back in the grass. Soujirou turned his head when he heard the sound of foosteps.

"Hijikata-san!"

"Oi kid. Don't lie on the ground like that."

Soujirou sat up, and drew his knees up to his chest. He noticed Hijikata looking him up and down, a furrow starting to form between his brow. He simply stared back innocently at Hijikata until he noticed the irritation break out over the young man's face.

"Well, get up and come with me if you have nothing better to do."

Puzzled but curious, the young boy followed after Hijikata, his ponytail bobbing as he struggled to keep up with the older boy's longer strides. Hijikata stopped just behind the main dojo, then turned around and held out the branch he had been whittling to the younger boy. It was a tree branch that had been cut so that it had two flat surfaces, and was just the perfect length to be a wooden sword for a child Soujirou's size.

"Take it," Hijikata ordered, and Soujirou took the sword from him, looking at it closely. Suddenly, the boy started to giggle, and Hijikata frowned with impatience. "What's so funny?"

"It looks like a sword alright, but it's crooked."

"Oh, shut up! I don't have a sword your size, so it will do for now."

Hijikata picked up his own wooden sword which had been lying against the wall, and gripped it, with his body aligned sideways to the boy.

"Souji, hold it out in front of you like this."

The young boy nodded, and tried his best to wrap his small hands around the sword the same way Hijikata held his.

"Right thumb a little higher. Now just do what I'm doing." Hijikata demonstrated a few practice swings, and Soujirou tried his best to imitate him.

"Hijikata-san, why don't you train at the dojo?"

Hijikata stopped swinging and stared at the boy. He looked almost thoughtful for a moment, but then the expression on his face hardened, and he barked back sharply.

"Don't just stand there. Come at me with all you've got!"

* * *

**End of Chapter 3 **

TBC

**Notes**: I realized that everything I intended to squeeze into this chapter wouldn't fit, so some of it will have to go to the next chapter. Also, I made slight revisions of details in Chapter 2. I have done some more research, but no matter how much research I do, it's never enough. ; Also, I want to start an acknowledgement section to thank and credit people who have been helpful along the way or encouraging me on this story. For next time: will Hijikata ever give his reasons for not practicing at the Shieikan dojo? What happens to Souji's life after Hijikata leaves Shieikan as well? Look forward to the next chapter.


	4. Shieikan Chapter 04

**Title**: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Shieikan Chapter 4  
**Series**: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker  
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.  
**Rating**: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations  
**Disclaimer**: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.  
**Summary**: Continuation of the story in which nine year-old Okita Soujirou comes to the Shieikan dojo as a servant (page). For what reasons does Hijikata not stay at Shieikan? Now without his sister's family around, what will Souji do when Hijikata also leaves? May cover events up to almost the beginning of SI Peacemaker manga/anime.

* * *

"Hijikata-san, why don't you train at the dojo?"

Hijikata stopped swinging and stared at the boy. He looked almost thoughtful for a moment, but then the expression on his face hardened, and he barked back sharply.

"Don't just stand there. Come at me with all you've got!"

Soujirou blinked, and within that eye span, Hijikata had already assumed the attack position. Before the boy could do anything else, Hijikata struck at him full force with his wooden sword. Soujirou was barely able to dodge the blow when the next one came.

"Hijikata-san!" Soujirou cried desparately, "You're not cutting me any slack!!"

Hijikata, without pausing, swung at the boy again, "Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a kid! Too slow!!"

The sword stopped just inches away from Soujirou's slender throat. The younger boy gulped nervously. Hijikata grumbled, and lowered his sword. He closed the gap between them, and adjusted Soujirou's fingering on the hilt.

"You idiot! How can you defend in that position?"

"Um, but you didn't even give me time to think."

"Well, then you'll have to think much faster than that, you slow poke! Now do it again, and do it right!"

"Um...hai!"

The sparring continued in a patch of dry ground behind the main dojo where the grass had thinned, and Hijikata continued to attack Soujirou without mercy. Even though the older boy kept berating Soujirou for his mistakes, only stopping short of injury, he was intent on drilling proper technique into the younger child.

Why...? Hijikata wondered to himself. _Why was this child a samurai's son, and no matter how much I practice, how much better I get, I'll never be..._

Suddenly, the younger boy gave a loud cry of pain, and Hijikata's eyes widened in shock. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had not stopped himself in time--the younger boy had blocked the attack, but because Hijikata had put too much force into the swing, he not only knocked the sword out of Soujirou's hand, but he had also sent the boy tumbling off his feet and hitting his head on the hardened dirt crust.

"Souji!!" He quickly rushed to the boy's side, but even as he cradled the boy's head in his arms, Soujirou's violet eyes were already glazing over and closing.

"Hiji...ka...ta....san..." Soujirou mumbled and struggled to keep his mind from blurring just before he fell unconscious.

* * *

The first thing he felt was pain--a sharp but throbbing pain on the side of his head. He tried to roll over into a more comfortable position, but somehow, it was difficult to--something was restraining his body.

"Don't move!"

A familiar voice..._Hijikata-san_?

Soujirou blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting to the soft light of the lamp in the room. He was lying on a futon and indoors--that much he could tell from the low wooden ceiling and the supple wooden beams that spanned across the room in a cross-work weave. However, the chest of drawers in the corner and a higher shelf containing an old tea set were not familiar to him. Had he seen this room before? It had to still be the Kondou residence, because he could sense from his surroundings that it wasn't his home in Hino.

Soujirou tried to sit up, but a rough calloused hand quickly pushed him back into a reclining position. Suddenly, Hijikata's familiar face came into view--those sharp sculpted features, narrow yet attractive eyes, and long dark bangs that graced the side of the young man's face--yet he saw something else in those features. Was it concern? Geniune relief flashed itself across Hijikata's face...but as the eyes focused upon his own, a cold expressionless mask slid back in place.

"I told you not to move, kid!" The hands readjusted the compress on the side of the boy's head.

"Hijikata-san..."

"You're so troublesome! I don't remember telling you to fall asleep on your feet."

Soujirou smiled weakly. "I'm sorry." He knew that despite Hijikata's gruff words, he had been truly worried about him. Hijikata heaved an irritated sigh.

"Since this is the special medicine that my family makes, the swelling should go down by tomorrow morning."

"Hijikata-san," Soujirou began again, turning his face just slightly to face the older boy, "Why don't you train in the Shieikan dojo with Isami and the other students?"

"Kids shouldn't stick their noses into others' business," Hijikata responded gruffly.

"But--! Hijikata-san is my friend too. I want to know about Hijikata-san--"

"SHUT UP!" Hijikata yelled angrily, a vein throbbing on his forehead, "A kid like you would never understand."

Soujirou lowered his eyes in shame, "I'm very sorry. Please excuse my rudeness."

Hijikata snorted in annoyance, uncrossed his legs, and drew one knee up towards his body as he turned to look out towards the shogi doors facing the porch. They were slightly ajar, and the setting sun was barely visible through the crack--the sky had started to fade into an inky violet with bloodshot clouds.

"Souji," he began in a calmer tone of voice, "Your father was a samurai?"

"Yes."

"And he died on duty?"

"No, he died of illness." Soujirou replied, "Mother had to bring us back to her village Hino, and ane-ue married a samurai in order to take care of me. Now mother is sick, and ane-ue and Rintarou-san can't care for me."

"So that's why you are a page here, huh?" Soujirou nodded, and Hijikata continued, "Souji, you are a samurai's son. Someday, you can become a warrior like your father and not have to depend on your family anymore. For that reason, you will be strong, right?"

Soujirou nodded, slightly confused. Was Hijikata trying to say something to him?

"Remember always--no matter what, you are the son of a samurai. That's what you were born to be, and that's what you will always be."

Soujirou smiled in response. He did not quite understand what Hijikata was trying to tell him, and even though the pain had subsided, he was starting to feel drowsy again. Maybe it was the medicine--but for whatever reason, Soujirou closed his eyes. As the boy's breathing evened out in deep sleep, Hijikata watched over him, and in his mind, he saw once again the green fields of Tama.

* * *

The shogi doors slid open all the way, and Hijikata looked up to see his friend Kondou Isami standing at the doorway. Isami stepped inside and slid the doors shut behind them. One moth managed to flutter inside just before the doors slammed shut.

"Ka-chan, what are you doing here?"

"Toshi, I thought you didn't like kids," Isami quickly changed the subject, a smile already teasing the edge of his mouth. This only caused a spot just above Hijikata's left eyebrow to twitch. He finished tucking the blankets over Soujirou, then fixed his attention upon the smiling face of his friend. Even though they were only a year apart--Isami was 18 while Hijikata was 17--Isami always looked much more mature. Unlike Hijikata, he was a humble and respectable young man with slightly squarish features and a wide mouth that could either smile benevolently or frown sternly. And like the male members of the Miyagawa family he was born into, he could fully fit his fist into his mouth.

"I'm leaving now, but I'll be back in three days." Hijikata stated, inclining his head to the row of luggage and his medicine chest which were now packed and neatly stacked beside him.

"Is it okay?" Isami nodded in the sleeping boy's direction, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to him?"

Hijikata shook his head, "No. It's better this way."

"Well then, I shouldn't keep you around much longer. Have a safe journey, and send Satou-san my regards." Isami stepped aside as Hijikata tied the bags in place and began to shift them in a comfortable position upon his back.

"I will." He reached out and extinguished the light from the lamp just before the moth could dive itself into the flames. "See you in three days."

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the thin paper screens of the shogi doors and Soujirou blinked, then sat up. He was still in the strange room, and he could still feel a faint throbbing in his head but the pain had mostly subsided. He gingerly touched the side of his head and was surprised not to find any swelling. Suddenly, memory of the previous evening flooded back into his mind. He quickly turned his head around, hoping to catch a sign of somebody...

Sliding the door open and stepping outside, he quickly put up a hand over his face to shield his eyes until they began to grow accustomed to the morning sunlight. He slipped on a pair of clogs and wandered about the back side of the dojo just outside the room. Where was Hijikata-san?

"Hijikata-san!" Soujirou cried out, and pushed aside some of the laundry that had been hanging since yesterday. Hijikata was not there, where he had been whittling when he heard the boy's sigh. He quickly dashed to the rear of the dojo, hoping to catch a glimpse of the young man practicing his swings. Still no sign of Hijikata. Soujirou noticed the practice sword that Hijikata had made for him, lying carelessly on the ground where they had left it yesterday. He quickly picked it up and hugged it tightly to his chest as he continued his search.

He dashed into the main hall, still looking bed-ridden and disheveled with his hair untied and tumbling down past his shoulders. Fude was not in the main hall today, which was unusual but also a relief to Soujirou. There was no sign of Hijikata--and breakfast had already been cleared away from the table. He peeked his head in the kitchen. No Hijikata--but for that matter, no sign of anyone either. It was an unusually quiet morning.

Soujirou rushed to the main dojo, and panting from his exertion, he slid open the main door and leaned against the door frame. Some of the students that were practicing inside looked up when they saw the young boy staring at them. Soujirou could not pick out Hijikata among them. Sighing hopelessly, he stepped back outside and sat down in front of the dojo with his feet dangling off the edge of the porch. The door behind him slid open, and he heard footsteps upon the wood. Soujirou turned around, his face suddenly lighting up into a grin.

"Hijikata-sa--" before he could finish, he was staring at a pair of worn hakama. Hijikata did not wear a hakama. He realized that the person standing behind him was not Hijikata, and the smile immediately faded.

"Ara, Soujirou, are you sulking?" Kondou Shusuke's kindly voice sounded from behind. The man who was Isami's adopted father knelt down beside him. He was a middle-aged man whose hair had started to thin along the sides of his face and tufts of white began to show at the roots. "Fude is currently out right now paying a visit to her friend's house. She doesn't have anything for you to do today, so just enjoy the sunshine."

"Kondou-san." Soujirou answered, but the young boy still looked troubled.

"Why the long face, Soujirou? It's wonderful to be young."

Soujirou nodded, and a managed a meagre smile.

"You look like you've lost something and you can't find it."

"Anou...Kondou-san," Soujirou began hesitantly, "Did Hijikata-san leave this morning?"

"Yes he did. He had to return to his relative's house in Hino. But, he did say he would be back in three days."

"He will?" Soujirou sighed inwardly with relief, but it didn't make that awful feeling in his chest go away.

"Well, I have to go back inside now and check on my students. As a father, I have to keep my son out of trouble too." Shusuke winked at Soujirou, then headed back into the dojo.

* * *

**End of Chapter 4 **

TBC

**Notes**: Once again, I cannot fit everything into this chapter, so there's still at least one more chapter of the Shieikan arc. ; I had hoped to finish up the Shieikan arc in three chapters, and beginning on the "The Three Longest Days" arc, but now it looks like I will have to do it in five. Btw, notice the tea set in the room from the previous chapter? Yep...you know who's room that was now, and whose bed Soujirou was sleeping in. Thank you so much to all the readers who have been keeping up with Mibu no Monogatari, and putting up with this bad butchering of history. ;

**Special thanks to:**

**cindyg**, who was the first to read my story and comment on them. This is dedicated to you, fellow NHK Shinsengumi fan!! XD  
**enmao**, for your helpful suggestions! I have tried to add more detail in this chapter without getting too wordy, but it's hard to strike a good balance. :/  
**milk**, for your wonderful words of encouragement!  
**an anonymous poster**, for reading and commenting and enjoying it.  
**arugentine**, for your positive words and feedback! i actually am trying to portray all the characters in a way that is believable, yet consistent with their PMK personality, more or less. ;  
**fujis**, because she is my mei-mei, and she's just TOOO cute, and always plants evil ideas inside my mind. Fufufufufu...

And every other reader out there who hasn't posted, I hope you enjoyed the story so far and will continue to enjoy it.


	5. Shieikan Final Chapter

**Title**: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Shieikan Chapter 5 Final Chapter  
**Series**: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker  
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.  
**Rating**: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations  
**Disclaimer**: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.  
**Summary**: Due to his family's desparate situation, nine-year-old Okita Soujirou came to the Shieikan dojo as a servant (page). Kondou Isami tells the little one a story about two young boys growing up in Tama. Mibu no Monogatari is a series of several story arcs that may cover up to the beginning of SI Peacemaker manga/anime timeline.

* * *

Night descended upon the Shieikan dojo. The sun had long sunk below the horizon and the sky had faded to a deep inky blue. Fireflies fluttered in the mid-summer breeze--waxing and waning points of light against the dark shadows of trees and roofs in the distance. Most of the residents of Shieikan had gone to bed, leaving a wake of silence where the bustle of daily activity had taken place. Kondou Isami was about to blow the flame out of the lamp when he heard the soft patter of footsteps several paces away from the outer shogi doors of his porch. He slid open one door and glanced outside. Isami barely discerned the profile of a small slender child from the surrounding darkness; Soujirou, barefoot, stood motionlessly on the porch gazing out at the fireflies.

"Soujirou-kun? You're up so late?" Isami kept his voice low as not to disturb the sleeping students in adjacent rooms. The boy turned his head at the sound of Isami's voice.

"Isami-san, I'm sorry to disturb you. I couldn't sleep."

"That's alright," the expression on Isami's face softened as he stepped outside onto the porch next to Soujirou. "I wasn't able to sleep either." He peered over the edge of the roof up at the sky. The stars had begun to show themselves--sharp yet blinking points of light in the sky. "You can see the stars out already. Want to go on the roof to see them better?"

"We can?" The younger boy's voice betrayed just a bit of excitement.

"Of course." Isami winked at Soujirou a bit mischieviously, "However, you better not tell anybody, and we have to be very very quiet." Soujirou nodded, and followed the older boy.

Isami led Soujirou to the side of the dojo close to the tall outer wall where slabs of solid rock jutted out unevenly from the stone fence. Slipping off his clogs, he tightly grasped both walls, braced his feet against the stones and the wall of the dojo, inched his way up, and pushed himself up onto the roof. He turned and extended a hand down to the younger boy.

However Soujirou was already following Isami's example, and much to the older boy's surprise, he shimmied up the walls nimbly despite his shorter legs. Isami had noticed before that despite the boy's small frame, he was quick to act, but he was also impressed with the child's agility. Soujirou, unaware of Isami's thoughts, seated himself promptly next to the older boy.

"The stars are so nice at this time of the year! I heard somewhere that there are pictures in the sky, but I can't see them."

Soujirou giggled, "I never heard that story before."

Isami smiled faintly, "A friend told me a few years ago, but I didn't believe him, so I can't remember who told me that. It was probably a foreign story or a dream he made up." Isami turned to the younger boy, the expression on his face more serious now. "Soujirou, you know why I called you up here, right?"

"Because you want to talk where no one else can hear?"

"You are very sharp. I noticed you with that look on your face during practice earlier today, but we didn't get a chance to talk afterwards." Fude had returned later that day and kept Soujirou busy for the rest of the afternoon. Kondou Shusuke and Isami had also left to pay a visit to a shrine. Soujirou's eyes lowered in response to Isami's remark, eyelashes casting a stark shadow upon the alabaster of his face in the moonlight.

"Forgive me for interrupting class."

"No, it's not about that. Father didn't mind. But after seeing you like that, there's a story I want to tell you."

"A story?" The younger boy was taken by surprise, but he turned to face his senior.

"Yes, a story about two peasant boys growing up in Tama. I want to tell you about how a young boy named Katsugoro met a boy named Toshizou on his way home one day..."

* * *

**6 Years Ago **

Miyagawa Katsugoro, a youth about twelve years old, was on his way home after visiting the Shieikan dojo. The first time he had paid a visit, the kindly master of the dojo, Kondou Shusuke had taken a liking to him, and at the master's request, had been allowed to stay and watch class. Kondou Shusuke was the third master of the Tennen Rishin Ryuu--an ancient school of martial arts that focused on kendou, bujutsu, and aikijutsu for warfare--but outside of Tama, the school had very little fame, thus the dojo was constantly in financial straits. The man was also childless. Despite Kondou's situation, he had never turned away a single student.

Katsugoro stopped in the middle of his tracks as he heard the shouting of several children up ahead followed by the sound of scuffling and the heavy thuds of bodies hitting the ground. His hands quickly fell to his waist, where his wooden practice sword was wrapped.

Stepping closer to the scene, he finally discerned the figures of six boys kicking and yelling names at a huddled figure of another boy lying on the ground. Five of the boys did not have weapons, but one of them who appeared to be the leader was holding a practice bokken.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Katsugoro called out as he came within earshot of the boys.

The boys paused at the sound of his voice and turned their heads toward Katsugoro, but made no move to spare their victim. The boy lying on the floor also looked up towards Katsugoro.

"Isn't it unfair for six to fight one?"

The boy holding a wooden sword took a step towards Katsugoro. Even though he was slightly taller than Katsugoro, he was probably around the same age--very likely 12, but no older than 13 years old. He pointed toward the boy lying on the floor.

"He owes us an apology and refuses to apologize."

The boy lying on the floor spat back defiantly at him, "They are sore losers! Because they couldn't beat me one at a time, they all came at me at once." Immediately, another of the boys pushed his head back into the dirt.

"Apologize right now or we'll break both your arms!"

"That's enough!" Katsugoro shouted, and the boys loosened their grip slightly on their victim. "My name is Miyagawa Katsugoro. What's your name?" He turned to the boy lying in the dirt. The kid looked roughly Katsugoro's age and he had quite a pretty face, but it was difficult to see that when it was smeared with dirt and grime and sported an angry scowl.

"Hijikata. Hijikata Toshizou."

"Hijikata-kun, it is wise to apologize to them." Katsugoro advised, and turned to the boy's captors. "You'll let him go as soon as he apologizes, right?" They nodded in response. The boy angrily glared at Katsugoro.

"It's none of your business, and even if it is, I don't owe them an apology. If anything, they should be the ones on their knees begging for forgiveness!"

"Why you son of a bitch--!!" The one holding a wooden sword made to swing it at the boy named Hijikata. Katsugoro jumped out and stilled his arm before it struck.

"Stop! I will apologize in his place. Please accept my apology." Katsugoro knelt down in front of them. The leader holding the sword sneered.

"You have some guts, Miyagawa Katsugoro. Very well, I will accept your apology, Ka-chan."

He spat in the dirt beside Katsugoro, and began to walk off. The other five boys let go of Hijikata and tailed behind him. When he was certain the boys had left, Katsugoro finally stood up and brushed the dirt from his knees.

"You have a sword. Why didn't you use it?" The boy named Hijikata had also stood up and was wiping off some blood from a split lip, watching him warily from the corner of his eye. Up close, Katsugoro could tell that the boy was very pretty; his unruly bangs accentuated his pale skin and his narrow eyes curved up in a mysterious way. Years from now, Katsugoro could foresee that Hijikata would have many girls chasing after or clinging to him.

"There are things you can deal with without a sword."

"Heh." The other boy sniffed in response to Katsugoro's answer. "Why did you save me anyway? You could have just let me be."

"I don't know. Maybe it was that look in your eyes--you looked as if you'd never give in even if you had to forfeit your life. I've never seen that in anybody before."

"Of course I won't give in to those spoiled brats! Just because they are the children of samurai, they think they can push me around."

"You're from a farming family nearby?"

"Of course. What about you? You don't look like a samurai yourself."

"Well, no I'm not. I'm also from a farming family nearby."

"Hm." Hijikata Toshizou brushed most of the dirt from his smock and pants and brushed his dirty bangs from his face. The scowl had faded a bit, but he was nowhere close to smiling. "You said your name was Miyagawa Katsugoro? I'll remember that name, but I doubt we'll ever see each other again."

"Maybe not."

Hijikata finally turned around, studying Katsugoro for a while before saying, "Want to come to my house?"

"Huh?" Katsugoro was taken completely by surprise. "Well, um...okay."

"You did save me after all, so I should at least do something." Hijikata muttered, eyes turned away. It was the closest to embarrasment that Katsugoro had ever seen him.

Katsugoro suddenly broke into a smile and laughed. "Haha! You are kind of cute afterall."

"What was that--!?!" A vein began to throb on Hijikata's forehead.

"Hey hey!! I was just joking around..."

* * *

"Is he your new friend?" Hijikata Onobu motioned to Katsugoro as the two stepped inside Hijikata's home. Onobu, the elder sister of Hijikata Toshizou, was a beautiful young woman with a graceful maternal air about her. If it were not for the fact that she looked so young, Katsugoro would have mistaken her for Toshizou's mother.

"No! It's not like that!" Hijikata Toshizou shot back with a vehemence that surprised his sister, but she suddenly chuckled and turned to Katsugoro.

"Miyagawa-kun, please don't be put off by his attitude. This is the first time he's ever brought anyone home. Toshi doesn't have many friends."

"Onee-chan!! You didn't have to say that to him!!" Hijikata protested grumpily.

"Now now, what's all the fuss?" An older man in his late twenties peered into the main room from one of the halls near the rear of the house. "A visitor huh?"

Katsugoro bowed low to the older man. Onobu, nodding in her husband's direction said, "Dear, this is Hijikata's new friend Miyagawa Katsugoro. He is also from a family nearby." And turning to Katsugoro, she said, "Miyagawa-san, this is my husband Satou Hikogorou. He specializes as an apothecary. He creates medicines that can heal wounds and treat coughs."

"Have a seat, Miyagawa." Satou motioned to an empty spot on the tatami, and Katsugoro sat down in seiza. Satou seated himself opposite to Katsugoro all the while studying the boy carefully. "What I like about you, Miyagawa, is the way you sit. For somebody your age, you seem exceptionally mature and serious."

(seiza is a sitting position in which the legs are folded under the lap, and the knees and the back form a triangle when observed from above.)

"I'm honored to hear such words from Satou-sensei."

Satou cleared his throat and continued while Onobu began to administer to the cuts and bruises Toshizou had received from the brawl.

"Originally, we've had a small but dedicated group of clients. However, lately after treating some patients from the Aizu region, the number of clients is increasing lately. I need someone to help me distribute our medicines. Some of our clients hail from as far as the tip of the peninsula."

"That's amazing, Soutou-sensei!" Katsugoro responded geniunely.

"I've been trying to get Toshizou to help me out, but he keeps slacking off and complaining. If only he had even an ounce of your maturity, he wouldn't be getting into fights like this all the time." Hijikata scowled visibly and squirmed away even as Onobu cooed over him and tried to wipe the last traces of dirt from his face.

"I am envious of Hijikata-kun." Katsugoro exclaimed enthusiastically and turned to Toshizou, "Not only do you have such a great brother-in-law who is knowledgeable in medicine, but you can also go see the world while peddling medicine."

"Is that such a good thing?" Hijikata Toshizou replied dubiously. "I hate going around looking like a beggar."

"Not at all! Beggars ask for money. As a peddler, you receive money fairly through the exchange of goods. Plus, you can always hear the latest news from talking to clients. I think there is no better life than one who can travel and learn about the world."

"Oh, Miyagawa-kun, so you are interested in learning more about the world?"

"Well," Katsugoro lowered his eyes and blushed, "I've heard stories that people who live near the ocean have sometimes spotted strange foreigners from outside Japan. Some of the foreigners have hair the color of sunlight. Though I've never seen anybody like that, I do believe that there is a strange new world outside of Japan beyond Formosa and Chuugoku."

(Formosa was the ancient name for Taiwan. Chuugoku is what the Japanese called China.)

Satou smiled in response, "You and Toshizou are complete opposites."

"That's not true!" Hijikata countered, and turned on Satou. "You wouldn't let me leave Tama! The farthest I've ever gone is to the outskirts of Edo!"

"That's because I caught you wandering around the red light district! That's not a place for kids!"

"I'm not a kid!!"

Katsugoro laughed politely. "Satou-sensei, will you let me help Hijikata-kun? I'll look out for him."

"You will? You really are a kind person and good friend to Toshizou."

"But we just met today!" Hijikata protested gruffly, but then finally admitted. "Fine, you can help me, but you better not get in my way, Miyagawa-kun."

"Of course I won't." Katsugoro smiled, ignoring the barb in the other boy's voice, "You can call me Katsugoro."

"That's too long." Hijikata screwed up his brows in thought, then finally said, "I guess you can call me by my first name as well. I know! I'll call you Ka-chan." He grinned with a devilish light in his eyes.

"Whatever you want." Katsugoro sighed.

...And that was how Miyagawa Katsugoro first met Hijikata Toshizou.

* * *

"Toshi!! Wait up!!" Katsugoro called out after his friend, desparately trying not to lose the tell-tale red string in his friend's hair while weaving through the crowds and apologizing to people he bumped along the way.

It had been about four months since they first met, and the two boys had often seen each other since, Katsugoro often accompanying Toshizou when Satou sent them out to peddle medicine.

"Please excuse me," Katsugoro apologized to a couple ladies when he nearly knocked the groceries out of their hands. They stared curiously after him, whispering as his figure was obscured by other passersby.

Finally, he slowed his steps as he saw his friend's slim figure leaning against the wall. He tapped the younger boy's shoulder gently.

"Toshi? You're not acting like yourself."

Ever since they had attended a funeral that morning for a swordsman from the Aizu clan who committed seppuku after he was caught opposing the Imperial Loyalists, Hijikata Toshizou had been acting more moody and unpredictable. Katsugoro had noticed that his friend had been tight-lipped with an angry expression on his face throughout the ceremony.

"It's none of your business!!"

"You can tell me. I'm your friend."

"I don't care if you are or not. I'm not obligated to tell you!"

"Well," Katsugoro started, lowering his hands to his side, "I don't understand why you are so angry all the time. Sometimes, it's okay if you don't hold it all inside."

"Kuso!" Hijikata punched the wall right beside his friend and his fist made a dent in the wall just mere inches from Katsugoro's face. Katsugoro did not flinch, but stood quite still, his unwavering gaze fixed sympathetically upon Hijikata. The younger boy slowly withdrew his bleeding knuckles, his body beginning to quiver. "He died like a man. He died the only way...a man can die. The only way..."

Katsugoro slowly lifted his arms and gingerly pulled his friend into an awkward embrace. Hijikata made no move to push his friend away, and the quivering gave way to choking sounds as Hijikata clung tightly to Katsugoro.

It was the first and only time Katsugoro had ever seen Hijikata Toshizou cry.

* * *

**End Flashback **

****

"But even as I held him, I still couldn't guess at the words he never spoke in his heart." Isami said, almost absently gazing at the night sky. He finally turned to Soujirou and managed a small grin. "Maybe there will be somebody out there who is special enough to touch him and comfort him."

Soujirou added thoughtfully. "The Toshi in your story sounds like somebody I know."

"Well, it might not be a coincidence."

"I've never seen him smile, and most of the time he's scolding me. Even so, I still think of him as a friend." Soujirou drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"Because he looks so angry, people are scared of him and it only makes him lonely. But he's like the sun hiding behind the clouds. Sometimes, when I glimpse the light peeking out, I can feel its warmth."

"Like the sun behind the clouds." Isami mused, "I think you already understand him even more than I do."

"I just don't know why he didn't say goodbye."

"Maybe he couldn't bear to say goodbye." Soujirou turned his head and started at Isami's words. "Maybe," Isami continued, "If he tried to, he wouldn't be able to make himself leave."

Soujirou blinked and froze, surprised by those words. Then he slowly turned his face away shyly and tried to hide the blush that welled up in his cheeks. "I don't know..."

* * *

Hijikata Toshizou sighed with frustration. He was near the end of his patience. Earlier, his sister was complaining to him in a motherly fashion about how disappointed she was that he rejected every single prospective bride she and Satou had selected for him. He had gruffly reminded her that he had no intentions of marrying, and that the girls had all been mistaken. She then scolded him for falsely leading them on, and another argument had broken out between them. His brother-in-law simply sat nearby serenely sipping his tea and refusing to comment.

Hijikata Toshizou was always in a rotten mood after these arguments. Sometimes, his sister could match him in stubbornness--especially when it came to issues about his marriage.

Turning on his side, he glanced through a crack between the outer shogi doors; the full moon spilled a thin line of silver light upon the tatami. Reaching under his futon near his pillow, he pulled out a rough binding of loose pages and slid open the closet an inch. He reached behind the closet doors and pulled out an ink brush. He had kept one within easy reach whenever he was inspired to write poetry. Hijikata loved poetry, but he never told anybody about this--not even his family or his best friend Kondou Isami.

Just now, he had thought of a perfect line for a haiku. He scribbled it down on a blank page, then placed the brush back carefully into the closet. Pushing the "book" under his futon again, he turned over and involuntarily glanced to his other side.

An apparition of a memory from yesterday floated in his mind. He could almost hear the even breathing, barely see the steady rising and falling of a small chest, and imagine the silver highlights upon rich violet locks. The ghost of his vision opened its eyes to smile at him softly. His eyes were playing tricks with him again. Hijikata clenched his fist tightly, grunted in annoyance, and quickly buried his face in the pillow to shut out the light from the moon. There was no doubt the next three days would be very long.

* * *

**End of Chapter 5 **

TBC

**Research Notes:** This was not exactly how Kondou and Hijikata met, so please forgive my fictional rendition of it. Kondou came over from Shieikan to teach at Satou's dojo, thus the two boys met--I actually wanted them to have met before then, so when they met at the dojo again, they were already close friends.

I apologize for turning out the final chapter to this story arc almost a month late. ; Thank you for being patient, and for continuing to read this story; I hope it was worth the wait. Also, this chapter is NOT the last chapter of Mibu no Monogatari; it merely closes the Shieikan Arc. Look forward to the next chapter of a new arc: Encounter The Longest 3 Days Chapter 6.

_In Response to_  
**Starshadow**: I didn't upload this chapter yesterday because just as I was about to, a technical blooper jumped out at me, and being too lazy to fix it at the hour, I just simply left it out. It's been fixed now in this version. Prize goes out to anyone who can figure out what was wrong. :P  
(And yes, Saizou will make an appearance in later chapters. :)

**Shadow Mystic**: I can easily say that I'm in need of an editor, and anyone who is willing to take that task upon herself has my sincerest gratitude. E-mail me, and I will worship you. (just kidding!) Right now, I'm working full-time, but as soon as class starts next week, it is 17 units of class work for me. Life is fun.


	6. The Three Longest Days: Encounter

**Title**: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Encounter The Three Longest Days Chapter 6  
**Series**: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker  
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.  
**Rating**: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations  
**Disclaimer**: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.  
**Summary**: Nine-year old Okita Soujirou is working as a page in the Shieikan dojo, and Kondou Shusuke sends him on an errand in central Edo to accompany a senior student. However, Edo is not a very safe place for children.

**  
Shieikan -- late June, 1850 **

Wet bangs plastered to Soujirou's forehead; he quickly pulled off the sweaty face-protector and wiped off a bead of sweat that tickled the nape of his neck. He struggled to catch his breath, and finally fell back upon the grass, simply feeling the mid-morning sun beat down on his flushed face. The humming of cicadas filled his ears as the hills thrummed with the life that flourished in mid-summer.

Beside him, Isami put away his training sword and sat down next to the exhausted boy. Kondou Isami had only began to break out in a light sweat from the work-out, and he quickly wiped off the thin layer of moisture with his sleeve. They had been training near the hills outside the dojo since dawn, and Isami had spent a good half of the morning drilling the basics of kendo and positioning.

"You learn quickly, Soujirou," the older teen remarked, "It hasn't even been a week, and you already have a good understanding of the basics. You're just as talented as Tosh--Hijikata said."

Soujirou laughed. "Isami-san! I would rather train under you. Hijikata-san only scolds me and tells me how bad my position is." Even as he spoke those words, Kondou Isami noticed the way the boy's eyes softened and how he carefully handled the rough wooden sword that Hijikata had given him. Even now, the boy had wrapped it up with care, and he hugged it against his chest.

Isami smiled and gave the child's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Well, he's always been like that. Why don't you go on inside and get changed? I'll stay behind to clean up."

Soujirou nodded, and stood up to leave. Just in time too--a set of sliding doors pulled open suddenly and Fude poked her head outside, fixing them with a no-nonsense look upon her face.

"Soujirou!" Fude's acerbic voice rang out into the courtyard. "Come back to the kitchen now and help out with lunch."

"You'd better hurry." Isami advised in a half-whisper, and Soujirou obediently heeded the master's wife's summons and went back inside.

When Isami finished putting away the training equipment, he turned to his father, Kondou Shusuke, who was leaning against a pillar and had been observing the training session from the porch.

"Father," Isami bowed quickly as Kondou looked up. "So, what do you think? Will you accept Soujirou as a pupil?"

"No. Isami, I am not accepting him."

"But why?" Kondou Isami pleaded; he slowly approached his adopted father. "You saw how talented he was. He grasped the fundamentals readily, and he reacts quickly and appropriately."

The master of Shieikan puffed serenely upon his pipe.

"It doesn't matter." Kondou Shusuke shifted his weight from one foot to the other in a way that signified that he was unwilling to change his mind. "Soujirou is still a child."

"So am I!" Isami challenged fervently, unable to keep from gesticulating. "You didn't mind when I came over to train at the dojo when I was twelve."

"You are acting like a child right now." Shusuke rebuked him gently but firmly. The fire in Isami's eyes cooled, but still smoldered with a trace of defiance. "I haven't seen you like this before."

"I don't understand," Isami admitted. "The child is bright and talented. How can you let such talent go to waste? If he starts training right now, imagine what he might become in just a few more years."

"That's exactly why I refuse to take him. Besides, I didn't accept you until you were sixteen." The older man crossed his arms. "By then, you have travelled all over Tama and even witnessed death. Soujirou is only nine. He has been living behind his sister's sleeve until now. Starting today, I will let the boy open his eyes."

Isami bowed his head. There was no changing his father's mind when Kondou Shusuke had decided. Both his mother and father were stubborn people. Kondou Shusuke paused just before leaving the porch.

"Isami," Kondou added before his adopted son headed back into the house, taking another puff on his pipe. "Tennen Rishin Ryuu is not a martial art of skill--it's a martial art that's used for war. Talent and skill by themselves do not make a warrior. A child cannot understand the way of the sword--only a man does."

* * *

Fude had taught the boy how to approach quietly so that his footsteps would not echo upon the wooden boards that covered the hallways. She also taught him to quietly make a rustling noise just before entering a room--a polite way of announcing his arrival to the occupants inside the room so as not to be mistaken for a spy. A pale slender hand slid open the door to the study cautiously before Soujirou quietly stepped inside.

The boy knelt down gracefully near Kondou Shusuke with a tea caddy perched in one hand. He gently stirred the green tea with forward and backward strokes until it was frothy. Soujirou placed the cup lightly on the table in front of the master of the Shieikan dojo, bowed once, and slowly retreated to a corner of the room where he sat attentively in seiza.

Fude sat silently behind her husband, watching the entire process with an intensity in her shrewd eyes. Her hands were folded primly over her lap, and she wore several layers beneath a silk kimono with a yellow floral pattern despite the heat of midsummer. Kondou Shuusuke slowly took a sip of the tea, savored the flavor, then wiped the mouth of the tea cup before placing it down again. He suddenly broke into a smile and nodded at the young boy.

"Soujirou, come sit here." He beckoned to an empty spot across from him in front of the table. The boy complied, and sat down, folding his knees carefully. "The tea you serve and your technique is much better now. I am impressed by how much you've improved in the last two weeks. Serving tea is an art that takes years to master. You really are a very talented child."

Soujirou kept his head bowed and replied, "It is because of Fude-sensei's instructions."

The edge of Fude's mouth twitched--the only sign that she had registered the boy's comment but otherwise she remained still and silent. Kondou Shusuke glanced at his wife, then laughed at the boy's modest reply.

"Well, it looks like Fude has taught you well." Kondou cleared his throat and continued, "The reason why I summoned you today is to have you run an errand for me. A page's duty includes running errands, and for the last two weeks you've been here, you have not yet experienced any sights or sounds outside of the dojo. I will have one of my senior students accompany you to Edo."

He pulled out a thin sheet of paper with writing on it and slid it in onto the table in front of Soujirou.

"There are several herbs listed here that are imported from Nagisaki by a merchant in Edo who is an old acquaintance. Don't worry. It's okay if you don't know these herbs by name. The store-keeper will know."

Soujirou nodded, and took the paper that was offered. "I will do my best, Kondou-sensei."

"Good. I will have somebody who knows the way to escort you there." Kondou turned his head toward the inner shogi doors and called out to a passing student wearing a hakama that had not yet changed out of his practice gi. "Ah! Inoue Genzaburou, just in time. I have a request for you."

The student paused and peered into the room, then upon noticing Fude, Soujirou and Kondou seated around a table, he quickly bowed to Kondou. He was a young man who appeared to be slightly older than Isami; his forelocks were shaved off and he wore the rest of his hair tied back. "Ah! I didn't realize Kondou-sensei had a guest. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Inoue, if you are finished with practice, accompany my page to Edo to pick up the herbs from Chuugoku that your brother discussed with us last time."

"Yes, of course." Inoue bowed again.

As soon as Kondou dismissed them, Soujirou entered the kitchen to pack supplies. Although it would take no more than two hours to go there and two hours back, the weather was hot and muggy and water was essential for the journey. The boy prepared a bag with two canteens while Inoue tied a pouch of coins that Kondou had entrusted to him to his obi at his waist. Soujirou then slipped on his sandals and followed Inoue to the front gate, struggling to keep pace with the senior student's longer strides.

He was both excited and frightened; it was the first time Soujirou had ever gone outside Shieikan's gates in the past two weeks. Even back home in Hino, Mitsu and Rintarou had hardly let him outside the house, except on days with festivals and public celebrations.

Soujirou stared at Inoue's profile. The young man was quite tall, but still shorter than Hijikata, and Kondou-sensei had introduced him as one of the senior students. He wore a hakama over his dark blue kimono and his hair was cut like like a samurai's--which made him appear intimidating to the eyes of the young boy. Suddenly, the young man turned around, and broke into a wide grin when he noticed Soujirou gaping at him. He spoke in a friendly manner, unable to hide the wonder in his voice.

"So, you're the new page?"

Soujirou nodded meekly.

"The first time I saw you, I didn't realize you were the pageboy. I almost thought you were somebody's kid sister because of how cute you are. What is your name?"

"Soujirou. Okita Soujirou." The boy mumbled nervously.

"Ah! Now I remember--Isami-kun was telling me about you. He said a lot of good things about you, like how smart you are, how quickly you learn, but he never told me you were very pretty!"

Soujirou quickly turned away, pretending to ignore Inoue.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Inoue stopped to grasp the boy by the shoulders. "Why won't you look at me? Am I scary?"

"Yes, um...no," Soujirou stuttered, and tried to shake off the hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Yes? No?" Inoue repeated innocently, not loosening his hold on the younger boy. Then in a more gentle voice he continued, "It's okay, Soujirou. I'm older than the other students, and this is the first time you're all alone with a strange person you never spoke to. Isami-kun said that you were parted from your family not long ago, and you're only nine years old. Even Isami was sixteen when he left his family. It must be lonely here for you."

"Well," Soujirou began uncertainly, "I still miss my sister. I wish I could see her again."

"I can understand that." Inoue replied soothingly. "You must be very close to her right? Don't worry. Kondou-sensei may be harsh to his students, but outside of class, he's a very kind and generous man. Say, did you make any friends here yet?"

"Um...well..."

"Let me be your friend, Soujirou." Without warning, Inoue hugged the boy compulsively, and Soujirou yelped, suddenly forgetting his fear. "You can call me Gen-san!"

"I-Inoue-san, don't be silly!"

* * *

Sprawled across the Musashino plain, the "city of the green" and the "city of water" merged into a thriving cultural and political center known as Edo. About 250 years ago, the first Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, conceived of the capital city when it was little more than a fishing village and flatlands flanking the Tokyo Bay. Now, the city was one of the world's major metropoles, home to little over a million people.

Edo castle lay in the heart of the city, surrounded by a moat. Aqueducts and irrigation ditches formed tightly-regulated circular rings expanding out from the center of the city. Countless streets and alleyways intersecting the aqueducts radiated outward, giving the overall city a spiral shape when viewed from above. The flatlands consisted of Shitamachi, where the common citizens dwelled while the daimyos, their vassals, and high-ranking officials lived along the hillside in Yamanote.

Inoue and Soujirou entered the city through a low mountain pass. Many travellors also accompanied them as they entered; most of them were merchants. Some had covered wagons full of goods to bring into the city. Others were peddlers with woven baskets and rolled up blankets tied to their backs.

The shuffling of thousands of feet kicked up dust and made Soujirou's eyes water. Somewhere in the crowd, an infant cried, and its mother's comforting coo was lost among the many voices colored with unfamiliar country accents--most which Soujirou had never heard before.

As the crowd slowly permeated through the checkpoint, the boy was barely able to make out the guards that manned the guard station ahead. He and Inoue waited patiently in line for the guards to approach them for clearance. Suddenly, he felt the older man clutch his hand tightly.

"Inoue-san?" Soujirou inquired, slightly puzzled at the gesture.

"Soujirou, stick close to me. Edo is large, and it's easy to get lost. There are many side streets and even though we will be visiting a reputable part of town, there are dangers even grown men cannot handle."

Soujirou nodded in reply, and his eyes flickered down to Inoue's waist; just beneath the man's dark haori, Inoue's other hand remained hidden, tightly gripping his katana. He had not realized until now that Inoue had brought along real swords.

One of the guards finally approached them, and Inoue handed them a scroll of documents for clearance. The guard nodded his approval and waved them past the checkpoint. Soujirou and Inoue blended into the crowd as the traffic slowly oozed its way into the city.

The street they entered was wide but cluttered. Like a patchwork quilt with each square of cloth distinctively different from the other, it was as if the buildings were randomly sewn together, forming a picturesque skyline. Shops layered and stacked upon each other, each one fighting its neighbors for a window to display its wares to the street.

The fashions of Edo paraded the streets, decorating its inhabitants. Although dress for commoners had toned down ever since the Bakufu enforced strict dress codes for each social class, the Edoites still found ways to artistically express themselves. Young women delicately clad in brightly colored furisode and wide elaborate obis glimpsed into shops advertising face powder. A group of men wearing the tea-colored kosode of government officials stood just outside a clinic, self-absorbed in a casual discussion that had nothing to do with politics. A closer glimpse at the men revealed that despite their plainer clothing, they sported elaborately carved netsuke and inro upon their obis.

(Note: Inro are tiny containers used to contain pills or medicine, especially popular among the upper classes and samurai as status symbols. Netsuke are usually carved decorations that accompany the inro and often contain family crests.)

The occassional samurai dressed conservatively in a dark kimono and hakama passed by, wearing his two swords. Kiosks displayed a variety of beautifully crafted ukiyoe depicting the most popular kabuki actors and beautiful courtesans. In one corner of a store front with barred windows, a small group of children laughed and played ball.

Inoue led Soujirou into one of the small shops that shared an overhang with a neighboring antique shop. As they ducked inside, the distinct odor of ginseng and other mountain herbs pervaded their senses. Soujirou quickly drew out the list that Kondou had given them at Inoue's request, and the young man presented it to the store-clerk, a corpulent man who had an easy smile and whose breath smelled strongly of chrysanthemum tea. He immediately rose and beckened them to sit down.

"Genzaburo, long time no see."

Soujirou blinked at the casual intimacy in the manner the other man addressed Inoue.

"Ani-ue, I came here to see about the herbs you recommended the last time." Inoue noticed Soujirou looking at them, and turned to explain. "Ah! Soujirou, this is my second brother. He is the owner of an herb shop. Ani-ue, this is Soujirou, a page that arrived just two weeks ago to serve Kondou-sensei."

The older Inoue acknowledged the boy, and Soujirou bowed and handed him Kondou's list. The older man's cheeks dimpled into a grin.

"He's very polite, and quite bright from the looks of it. That's important in a page."

He quickly skimmed the list and stood up from behind the counter.

"Come with me. Most of these are in the storehouse in the back. You'll have to tell me how much you need."

Inoue glanced back at Soujirou.

"Is it okay to leave him in the waiting room?" Inoue tentatively asked his brother.

"It'll be fine. We won't be long. There isn't room enough for more in the back, and I'm in a hurry to close up the shop."

"I'll be fine," Soujirou assured Inoue. He slipped off his sandals and sat down upon the tatami in the waiting room.

Involuntarily, Soujirou's eyes began to scan his environment. On the outside, the shop was not very eye-catching. There was a very old wooden sign mostly-obscured by the overhang. It was hand-carved and painted crudely in black ink that read: "Inoue Herbal Shop".

The interior of the shop was much more lively--several scrolls of Chinese calligraphy and lush landscape paintings decorated the walls. Just above the counter, a beautifully crafted ukiyoe depicting an oiran attended by her girls hung upon the wall. In the rear of the shop near the entrance to the store room, a set of racks held a pair of katana and wakazashi--they were very likely the older Inoue's swords. The only anamolous object in the room was a small bound black book with strange gold inscription upon it in a writing that Soujirou did not comprehend. It sat quite unnoticed upon a low end table, and the dust collecting upon it had turned the cover gray.

As the seconds turned to long minutes, the air smoldered with the scent of Chinese herbs. It was not an unpleasant odor, but Soujirou was not accustomed to such a thick smell. He finally decided it was harmless to step outside briefly for fresh air. Soujirou stood up, pulled on his sandals, slid open the door, and peered out from beneath the overhang.

A strange begger that Soujirou had not seen before, covered in a straw mat and fast-asleep, lay partially reclined against the door step. Soujirou carefully stepped aside so as not to disturb the beggar. As the boy walked out into the middle of the street, he did not notice the beggar's eyes fly open and stare at him. Soujirou let out a quick breath of relief. He considered heading back into the shop, but the thought of muggy air and the smell of medicine made his mind reel, so he stood outside and watched the children playing ball.

Suddenly, a strangely familiar scent pierced the air and flooded his senses. It was a sweet and exquisite fragrance--one that brought tears of nostalgia to his eyes and memories of his home in Hino. Soujirou blinked away the tears. He realized what the smell was--it was the smell of the plum blossom perfume his sister always wore. His chest constricted painfully; he could almost feel the cloth of his sister's silk kimono brushing his cheek when he embraced her one last time. Soujirou quickly turned and stared down the street for the source of the smell. If only he could find out where it was coming from...

A small draft of warm wind blew more of the scent in Soujirou's face, and the boy glanced back once at the medicine shop, then began to carefully follow the breeze upstream. He maundered past the children playing ball--past the talking men leisurely sitting oustide the restaurant, and past small groups of women with parasols and short sleeved kimono that signified their married status.

Suddenly, the breeze died down and the scent faded. Where did it go? It seemed to be coming from a narrow alley. He turned the corner into the dark alleyway and noticed a brightly decorated restaurant. The scent emenated strongly from the restaurant, and an elaborate palanquin had been parked in front. If curiousity had not entranced the boy, Soujirou would have sensed that a restaurant with its front door in a back alley was slightly strange.

He was able to make out a couple figures standing just inside the entrance of the restaurant. He quietly tip-toed as stealthily as he could towards the entrance, laying low to the ground and making sure that the people inside did not spot him. All he wanted was a quick glimpse inside, then he would leave.

As he came closer, he noticed that one of the persons inside was a young woman with her hair elaborately dressed in a more flashy variant of the yoko-Hyogo style with numerous hairpins and ribbons tying her hair in place. She was the source of the plum blossom scent. Her face was pure white with rouge touching the edges of her eyelids and accentuating her lower lip. She wore a very brightly colored furisode whose sleeves trailed down to the floor. The other figure was a man wearing a merchant's haori--most likely the restaurant manager--and looked to be giving the woman specific directions to the interior of the restaurant.

Soujirou quickly turned back after catching a glimpse of the figures, and started to slip back as quietly and inobtrusively as he could. The man and the woman did not seem to notice him. He could not hide his disappointment though--the woman that stood in the doorway somehow looked familiar. He was certain he saw her face before somewhere, despite the fact she was a stranger.

Suddenly, without warning, a quick movement flashed along the periphery of his vision, and he quickly turned his head back toward the restaurant, only to have a hard fast blow catch the side of his head, knocking his forehead against the wall. His vision blurred, and he fell unsteadily upon his hands and knees. The boy brought up his right hand and wiped some fresh blood off of a split lip. About two steps away from his left hand, he noticed some unfamiliar feet clad in straw sandals. Before he could lift his head to see his attacker, another blow came, and this time his mind dimmed and the world slowly faded into oblivion.

** End of Chapter 6**

**  
TBC**  
**  
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**Notes**: Okay, I'll admit...it took me a very long time to release this chapter. looks around guiltily I was almost finished with it but then found some info on Inoue Genzaburou, which I painstakingly translated from a Japanese site (see for more info), and I had to sit down and rewrite portions of his personality to fit the description. I am too lazy to put up any footnotes right now, so maybe at a later date, I'll release them for the story arc. And, please don't be mad at the cliff-hanger. ; The title of the next chapter should give a clue as to what you can expect next: Ukiyo The Three Longest Days - Chapter 7.

Replies to comments -

**WoLfePaWs**: I'm sorry the update did not come very soon. ; I had most of the chapter planned out, then in the middle of writing it, I nearly trashed a lot of the original ideas. Even so, I hope you enjoyed it. There are fictions with Okita in it, but few that dwell and develop him deeply as a character. I've always thought of the PMK fandom to be relatively young and colonial.  
**Night-Owl123**: Once again, I'm sorry I didn't update so quickly, but I will try to the best of my abilities to do so. bows  
**ofudamaster**: Thank you for the advice! I agree that some of the character descriptions are not necessary. I have tried to omit them unless needed. When I write a story, I pretend I'm in the mind of each character. I see them, but at the same time, I write with the intent to portray what they may also be feeling. I'm very honored by your compliment.  
**kiristel**: Okita Souji is also my favorite character, though Hijikata closely ties for second that sometimes I can't tell who I like more. P I'm glad you enjoy the story, and hope you will continue to follow it. I try to put my best into each chapter I write.  
**Shadow Mystic**: Thank you for the offer to edit my stories! D I wanted to get back to you sooner, but I have no contact info from you. Please send me an e-mail, and I can either mail you the documents for editing, or you can download them from the site.


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